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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Nitro 16 offers better performance for intensive tasks such as 3D rendering or engineering due to its more recent graphics card. It also has a larger screen with a higher resolution and an aspect ratio that might be more suitable for productivity tasks. On the other hand, the Predator Helios 300 has a stronger build and is more portable due to its lighter weight, but it comes with an older graphics card, which may not handle intensive gaming and engineering tasks as well. Both are similarly priced, but for intensive engineering or gaming, the Nitro 16 would be the better choice. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Nitro 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Acer Predator Helios 300
- The Acer Predator Helios 300 has no clear advantages over the Acer Nitro 16.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
8.0
7.2
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Yes
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 stands out for gaming and 3D applications with its more advanced Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and higher screen refresh rate of 165, which can render smoother visuals in fast-paced games than the Acer Predator Helios 300, which has an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU and a refresh rate of 144. While both have good processors and screen quality, the Nitro 16's better GPU and refresh rate are very important for gaming, making it more suitable for high-end gaming and 3D work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Nitro 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Predator Helios 300 is good.
The Acer Nitro 16 is more suited for engineering and design tasks due to its superior CPU and GPU, which translate to better performance for demanding applications, and its screen has higher quality with better resolution and color coverage. The Acer Predator Helios 300, while still capable for these tasks, has a less powerful CPU and GPU and a lower quality display, but it offers slightly better portability due to its lighter weight and more compact size.
Content Creation
7.8
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for software development, though the Acer Nitro 16 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
8.3
7.3
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
494.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
The Acer Nitro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Predator Helios 300 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Nitro 16 features a display with a high resolution and brightness, and a panel type that delivers sharp images, making it excellent for activities like browsing and watching videos, which are common in general use. Its strong color accuracy across different spectrums such as DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB makes it well-suited for engineering and design tasks, where precise color representation is crucial. However, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a lower refresh rate, which is essential for smooth motion and gameplay.
Battery
9.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Nitro 16 has 9 hours of battery life. The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 3.5 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Fair
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
5.9 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
1.1in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Predator Helios 300 and Acer Nitro 16 both have only fair portability, though the Acer Predator Helios 300 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,050
$1,204
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Nitro 16 has a price of $1,050 and the Acer Predator Helios 300 costs $1,204.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.8
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
494.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
294.0 nits
9.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
6.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.9/10
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 300 are both good for general use.
The Acer Nitro 16 is well-suited for general use due to its stronger CPU and higher screen quality, providing smooth multitasking and clear visuals for everyday tasks. On the other hand, the Acer Predator Helios 300 offers better portability and heat management, making it also a good choice for general use, especially for those who need to move around more and want to keep their laptop cooler during extended use.
Build Quality
7.4
7.4
The Acer Nitro 16 and Acer Predator Helios 300 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Nitro 16 and the Acer Predator Helios 300 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Nitro 16 | Acer Predator Helios 300 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,050 | $1,204 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.2'' x 11'' x 1.1'' | 14.3'' x 10'' x 0.9'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 5.95 lbs | 5.51 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.18" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 11.02" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | Intel i7-11800H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 2 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 9 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 90 Wh | 59 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 494 nits | 294 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 6.1/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | Yes | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Nitro 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | June 2023
"Video editing, rendering and, of course, gaming represent the Nitro 16's core competencies with a Ryzen 7 7735HS and GeForce RTX 4070 providing the necessary power. Both chips run at consistently high clock speeds. A fast PCIe 4 SSD (1 TB) provides the required storage space and ensures short loading times. With the Nitro 16 AN16-41, Acer has a well-specced, mid-range gaming laptop in its portfolio."
Acer Predator Helios 300
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | November 2022
"The Acer Predator Helios 300 review is an overclocked gaming laptop with a good display. The Predator is large, heavy, and loud, but also offers plenty of performance according to gamers. An overclocked gaming laptop - or its user - also has to struggle with the usual disadvantages we mentioned above. On the other hand, overclocking is optional, and those who like it quieter and can live with a few less frames per second can also switch to the significantly more moderate Standard mode. Then the Helios 300 won't be any louder than the competitors."
Get a great deal on the Acer Nitro 16 or the Acer Predator Helios 300
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
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